Painkiller

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my parents, Bill and Gail, for encouraging me to pursue my dreams no matter how ludicrous each new dream sounded-and still sounds. Same goes for Bart, my brother, for being my partner in crime in both art and life. And it goes without saying, for anyone who knows me-and yet still I will say it-I would never have finished this or any other novel without the inspiration found in my home every minute of every day. I mine this inspiration from my impossibly flawless wife, Nadine, and the bundles of thrill-seeking ambition she’s given me so far, Sophie and Brick.

All that said, once the first draft of Painkiller had completed itself, I was lucky enough to count as a friend one Gregg Hurwitz, whose generosity confounds me to this day. Through Gregg came my introduction to the keepers of the real-life Force: Marc H. Glick and Stephen F. Breimer-men with no equals. Heroes, in fact. And to the most brilliant of mad scientists, Jess Taylor. And to warriors (and literary agents) Matthew Guma and Richard Pine. In the end, this greatest of teams took a supreme leap of faith on Cooper, Laramie, and, partially, me, delivering me to some of the smartest men alive: Michael Morrison and Rob McMahon. The razor-sharp judgment found in Michael and Rob led them to conduct the brash act of actually purchasing the publishing rights to this book-and then to instruct me on how to make it better.

To each of you, a salute: Live slow, mon.